My Pomeranian has a collapsed trachea. Is OTC cough medicine safe?

I’m sorry to hear about Tanner. This sounds like it could be collapsing trachea which is a chronic disease. I would avoid human cough syrup as the dosing is unknown and if it contains decongestants it can be potentially toxic. Finally, some of the sweeteners used in medicines can be toxic to dogs. Take one more trip to the vet and discuss the pros and cons of a more long-term prescription for a dog-safe cough suppressant. Best of luck to you and Tanner!

Poor guy. If the Temaril alone is not helping him I would highly recommend telling your vet so that they can also prescribe additional medications. Tracheal collapse is often treated with several medications in more severe cases. Cough tabs or Torbutrol tabs are given to help reduce the cough. Also a bronchodilator is helpful in some pets to open up the airway just before the thoracic inlet. For now you can mix a small amount of honey mixed with water and offer that to Ferris until you an get him seen again by your vet. Honey has anti-inflammatory proerties that may be somewhat helpful. Also make sure not to place a collar on him, harness only, and try your best to keep him in a quite room with limited stimulus. I hope that Ferris feels better soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hello, Cough can be caused by an infection, heart problem or lung condition, it is important to first know the cause before treating it as treatment is different from condition to another. The most common disease causing cough is a viral infection called Kennel cough, this disease usually resolves without treatment within a couple weeks but if the cough is too severe it is recommended to go to the vet in order to get cough medicine and antibiotics.

Hello, and thank you for your question. If Lacy is only coughing once or twice at night, you can ask your vet about trying a cough suppressant for the night time only. However, if she is coughing frequently at night, I'd also want to rule out heart disease as an underlying cause. Coughing due to heart disease often happens during rest, as fluid accumulates in their lungs when they are lying on their sides. Chest x-rays would be necessary to rule this out. For dogs with collapsing trachea that cough regularly at all hours, you can ask your vet about using a bronchodilator, and/or inhaled steroids, which get the medicine directly into her lungs where she needs it, with minimal absorption into the rest of her body, in turn minimizing side effects of steroids. Check out the Aerodawg, which is an inhaler designed just for dogs. However, as stated earlier, if her coughing is minimal, just a cough suppressant at night may be enough. In addition, switching to a harness instead of a collar can be very helpful, as it minimizes pressure on the trachea when the dog is pulling on the leash. I hope this helps, and that Lacy is doing well!

It all depends on how she responds to treatment. Temaril P is basically a steroid, so your vet is aiming to decrease acute airway inflammation right now. It's possible she'll able to come of medication entirely, or she may need a low dose of steroid long term. She could also need a couch medication long term.

We do not normally recommend a cough suppressant over the counter for coughing in dogs without first examining the pet as there are some cases where a cough suppressant would be contraindicated. If your dog is coughing, I would definitely recommend an examination by a veterinarian as there can be many different causes for the cough, including infectious disease, anatomical abnormalities like collapsing trachea, heart failure, heartworm infection, and more. We need to try to determine the underlying cause of the cough before we can properly treat the cough.

You may be able to use dextromethorphan depending on what she is currently taking, but you will need to contact your veterinarian for a dose. Bronchodilators may also be of benefit in treatment. Legally, we are prohibited from providing such information or telling you to give it in the absence of a physical exam and a VPCR (Veterinarian-Patient-Client Relationship).